A sunset – yes, a sunset! And no, it’s not a black and white photo. That’s just how it looked that particular night at Yellow Point on Vancouver Island – expansive, beautiful, and breath-taking. The beauty of the sunset with its stark sky, water and land reminded me of a phrase our Jewish brothers and sisters use: Tikkun Olam.
Tikkun Olam describes how humanity is called to respond to a world by participating in repairing the world and mending what is broken. More than that, Tikkun Olam incorporates a call to make the world better than it was before it was damaged.
As I stood at the water’s edge that night, watching the sun set, images of our broken world because of climate change, pollution, environmental damage, anger, shattered relationships, abusive leaders, injustice, and more, flashed before my eyes. I wondered about the hope that is in the concept of Tikkun Olam. I remembered how collective actions can bring about repairing the earth through restoration, through reconciliation, through small acts (of love, kindness, solidarity with other people, animals, plant life, oceans, skies and other places on earth), and through larger acts (of social justice and environmental awareness). And I remembered that every person’s life provides an opportunity for tikkun olam … and that each tikkun has the potential to bring about change.
I thought of people like Malala Yousafzai… Martin Luther King Jr … Rosa Parks … Jesus of Nazareth … Joan of Ark … Jonas Salk … Florence Nightingale … Isaac Newton … Eleanor Roosevelt … Beethoven … Rachel Carson … Wangari Maathi … and the question arose within me: “Where would the world be today without each of them?” They and others, made an impact on this world. Each of us can, too. No matter how intellectually gifted, spiritually inclined, physically able-bodied each of us is or is not, we can contribute to the common good and to the creation of a world where justice, integrity, caring, compassion and peace are present in some way each day.
It was just a sunset that night, but it had me thinking – thinking about Tikkun Olam and how I can be more responsive to such a call in my daily living.
How can Tikkun Olam enter your thoughts and action?
When the busyness of life grabs us, or when we think we have no time, energy, creative juice or zest for life, perhaps it is time to ask ourselves “Where’s the balance?” Maybe we don’t allow ourselves to simply “be” and instead, we focus on ourselves as a “human do-ing” rather than a “human be-ing.”
Instead of doing things which drain us to the point that the passion-to-create or the desire to spend quality time with self/family/close friends is no longer paramount (or maybe even existent) in our daily activity, maybe it’s time to give ourselves the gift of Presence. A time when we nurture our Spirit … are gentle with ourselves … breathe in calm, peace and healing; breathe out anxiety, fear and pain.
Maybe it’s time to recognize that we don’t have to “do it all” … that saying “no” or “not at this time” is exercising wisdom … and that acknowledging our vulnerability isn’t weakness, but strength in self-awareness.
Giving the gift of Presence to ourselves can become the catalyst for the precious balance so necessary to a life where the spirit grows, personhood evolves and healing, health and wholeness can emerge. May we give ourselves the Gift of Presence this coming week.
Whether it’s listening to music, recommending a restaurant, listening to the opinion of another, politics, religion, looking at art, we all have our own perspective, our own viewpoint, our own experience of what we see / hear / taste / feel.
When I created this ZenDoodle long ago while waiting to see a doctor, it was as it is in the first photo – sideways. Sitting beside me was a fellow who, after watching me doodle, said “How about putting a hat on him?” “A hat?” “Yes, a hat” he replied.
Clearly, I didn’t “see” what the fellow was seeing. But when he leaned over, he took the corner of my little zendoodle and turned it around. I “saw” the image he was seeing. I doodled a little ‘tam’ hat.
Tonight, it seems, that whether I watch a U.S. channel or a Canadian channel or British channel, they’re all talking about the latest “breaking news” … the release of the Mueller report. And while the focus is on the Mueller report and “what could it possibly contain,” very little attention is being paid to the Mozambique cyclone which has devastated that country. If you do an internet search on ‘Mozambique cyclone March 22, 2019, you’ll see what is happening there. When the Mueller report is released, media will form opinions. Family, friends, co-works, neighbours will form opinions. Each of us will form an opinion.
Life’s Lessons are all around us and the little zendoodled fellow has become a gentle reminder that what is seen isn’t always what others see; what is heard isn’t always what others hear; what is experienced isn’t always what others are experiencing, even in the same situation.
It was a full moon. And as I took this photo, I found myself delighting in the wonder of the globe in the sky that shone so brightly – until hidden by clouds.
How often our light is hidden by the clouds we encounter in our lives – clouds of fear, isolation, loneliness, sadness, grief.
In those moments, our light hasn’t gone out. It’s just covered up and waiting for the time when whatever clouds we are experiencing will pass and our light will shine once again.
Thank you Madame Moon, for shining, for teaching, for existing, and for giving hope – in a new way.
For Kylene, Stuart and their children, the word ‘hope’ seemed like an empty phrase. But sometimes, a little hope in hearts; a little hope in prayers; a little hope whispered, spoken, cried, shouted becomes reality.
Quite a while ago, I read something on a local Facebook group that ‘Lewis,’ the family cat (a ginger cat) had gone missing. I whispered a wee prayer and hoped he would be found. He wasn’t. I had seen a ginger cat in the back yard recently but it was skittish and ran away within seconds. It kept showing up, terribly thin and clearly hungry. I put out some food and hoped it would come and eat. It did. The food was gone, but the cat was nowhere to be found.
Then I saw the “Missing Cat” notice and when it showed up again, it must have trusted me after several days of my feeding it and I was able to bring it indoors. I contacted the family and Stuart immediately came over. Oh how I hoped that Lewis was their family cat. Stuart did, too. Sadly, it wasn’t their Lewis, but it was very ill and Duncan Animal Hospital (one of our local vets) kindly cared for it. Then Cowichan Cat Rescue took over.
That was all before Christmas. Over Christmas, I prayed a wee prayer that Lewis would be found and the family would have a special gift this year but … it didn’t happen. And then this morning, I received an email … “Our ginger cat, was found in Arbutus Ridge!” Positive identification was made (thanks to Lewis’ tattoo he’d received from Cowichan Cat Rescue prior to his adoption by the family), and the rest, as they say, is history!
How ever Lewis made it from here (in Duncan) to there (14 km) is a story that will remain with Lewis, but oh how I’d love to still be teaching, tell the students about Lewis and have them write a short story of Lewis’ Adventures. Welcome home, Lewis! There is a special family who is soooooo excited to have you back. And I’m looking forward to meeting you in person!
At one time, the word ‘hope’ seemed like an empty phrase. But a little hope was in hearts; a little hope was in prayers; a little hope was whispered, spoken, cried, shouted and hope became reality! Lewis is home!
